Tied 2-2 in Western Conference finals, San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues play Sunday matinee

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San Jose Sharks’ Justin Braun (61) gets pushed to the ice against St. Louis Blues’ Pat Maroon (7) in the third period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo., on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

After a well-played but otherwise unremarkable Game 4, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer was asked how he felt about the series.

DeBoer chuckled, amused at the question.

“Youʼre in the Western Conference final, you know 2-2, against a really good team.I feel pretty good. We have home-ice advantage. Yeah…, I feel good,” DeBoer said.

Knowing his team would be disappointed after the Blues tied the series, the coach once again sent the right message. DeBoer essentially was telling his team: feel good, be confident, youʼve played well and that itʼs now a best-of-three series with one of the biggest home-ice advantages in the league.

Now, in private with the other coaches, there are some concerns. First of all, the health of two-time Norris Trophy defenseman Erik Karlsson. He stayed on the bench for seven minutes of the third period, almost all the way down the stretch. He got back on the ice when Martin Jones was pulled for the extra man, but he clearly wasn’t skating with his usually effortless stride.

Itʼs too flippant to say everybody is hurting this time of year. Thereʼs a difference between playing hurt and being injured. If youʼre hurt, you can play. If you’re injured and try to play, you end up hurting the team and yourself. Karlsson is doing everything he can to stay on “hurt side” of that fine line. It any case, it’s an impressive display of toughness and fortitude.

Another cause for concern is the Sharks power play. The good news it clicked for a goal in Game 4. The bad news: it’s two for 11 in the series. The Sharks are having trouble entering the offensive zone cleanly and are a bit slow moving the puck.

Credit the Blues for their penalty-killing, though. Like the Sharks, they are very good short-handed. They disrupt and slow the Sharks’ attack. They contest their blue line, hampering the entries, and they a very good job protecting the important ice in frontof their net.

Playoff coaching is about adjusting. No doubt DeBoer and his staff are on top of it.Sometimes itʼs structural. Sometimes the players have to be more engaged, focused and improve their execution.

There are some players this time of year who shine and raise their games to an even higher level. There are others who maintain their steady and trusted level of play. There are still others who struggle and canʼt seem to find a way to make an impact.

The coaches will be focused on trying to coax more from the majority. As the series gets crucial, the Sharks need more from more.

There was a very interesting exchange between Joe Thornton and Evander Kane during Game 4. It looked like the talk a big brother would give to a younger sibling. An intense, no B.S., you-need-to-be-better, encouraging and motivational kind of talk to a 30-goal scorer who has lit the lamp once in the last 17 games.

It canʼt always be about the guy behind the bench. You need your core leaders to drive the bus once in a while. DeBoer has a lot of drivers on his team. Heʼs a democratic coach, allowing and understanding that players are the foundation, the reason for success. The coaches can be concerned on some issues, but players have to be self-assured.

DeBoer consistently, with his words or his actions, affirms his belief and confidence in his players. His belief system is unshakable in his guys. When teams are as closely matched as the Sharks and the Blues, the belief in one another might be what gets you to the Cup final.